TONYKA & JONITA – Atlanta, GA
Tonyka McKinney, Public health data specialist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Jonita McKinney, Sergeant in the United States Army Reserve
Tonyka and Jonita met rather unconventionally. It was 2013, and they were at a worship service, standing in line to pay their tithes and offering.
That fateful day at Vision Cathedral of Atlanta led them to the altar two years later. The most memorable moment of their wedding, said Jonita, was during Tonyka’s vows. “She absolutely surprised me by washing my feet,” Jonita said. “She stated that was her washing away all of my past heartache. I was speechless and in complete tears.”
The wives have found a connection through their common drive to live a service-driven life. Both give back to their community through uplifting LGBTQI and homeless youth. Outside of their day jobs, Tonyka and Jonita engage in additional pursuits: Tonyka is the CEO and founder of AmBITION Collections, a watch company for dapper women, and Jonita is the CEO and founder of Re-fining Fire-Atlanta, a non-profit providing mentoring, outreach and dance programs to develop healthy, stable and long-term relationships with foster children, at-risk youth and young adults, ages 13-25, in the greater Metro Atlanta area.
Their ability to see the humanity in everyone and have forgiveness for themselves and each other is paramount. “We work to magnify the good things about our marriage so that we don’t end up putting too much emphasis on those potentially negative things,” Tonyka said.
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